A Comprehensive Guide on Industrial Solar Panels

As we know, our country is observing rapid industrial growth. Amidst this, one of the things that bother the industrial owners most is the weighty power bills. 

As an alternative way out of this situation, various industries, including cement, chemical, paper, textile, & other sectors, are now deploying industrial solar panels.

A considerable percentage of the total production of electricity in India is used up for industrial operations. Hence, the industrial sector of our economy is one of the most dominant sectors concerning the consumption of electricity. 

Due to a surge in the awareness of the perks of installing industrial solar panels, many businesses are now finding it the best alternative. 

Notably, industrial solar panels can be utilised for on-grid as well as off-grid solar panel systems. Hence, it is profitable for firms to employ solar panels for industrial use that offer usability at night too.

That being said, let us move forward and demystify other aspects of using solar panels in industries.

What are the Benefits of Installing a Solar Panel for Industry?

Just like a solar panel system is a great alternative for domestic purposes, an Industrial solar system has many benefits for different industries and factories.

Let us see what they are! 

• Economical than Conventional Power: Industrial plants have high electricity demands to run their operations. It leads to the payment of huge bills. When you install solar rooftops for industries, most of your electricity comes from the Sun. Hence, the bills reduce and the net profit expands.

• Decreasing the Carbon Footprint: The solar power industry does not cause air pollution or carbon emissions like fossil fuel-based industries. It uses only sunlight as input and produces no ashes or other waste products.

• No Constraint of Space Availability: Since a solar panel for the industry can be mounted on the rooftop too, the availability of ground space is generally not a concern. Such flexibility in installations makes the solar rooftop for industries a feasible alternative for the massive electric load demands.

• Low-Maintenance and Fixed-Cost Solution: The solar power industry offers a fixed-cost solution as solar panels have a lifespan of up to 25 to 30 years. Besides, the maintenance of an industrial solar power plant is also inexpensive. 

• Returns on the Cost of Investment: The installation cost of solar panels for industrial use is a one-time investment. Such installation lets the enterprises easily cover the costs of investment in the long haul. It starts paying back the returns soon.

• Availing Tax Credit: The firms with a private industrial solar power plant can also reap notable tax benefits through capital subsidies, depreciation, and other financial incentives, as appropriate.

Analysing the Industrial Solar Panel Price 

Now that we know the benefits of installing a solar panel system in factories, the next apparent question is its cost.

Is the manufacturing and installation cost exorbitant? Let us find out!

The price of an industrial solar system depends on the requirements of the particular factory where you wish to install the panels. 

The requirements can be specifically determined by the factors like the location and size of the rooftop, capacity of the industrial solar power plant, the type of PV modules required, etc.

Let’s take an example to understand this!

Let us consider an industrial solar plant with a 100 KW capacity. Now, the capacity of the solar PV module selected directly affects the number of solar PV modules required. 

If you choose a PV module of 400 Wp capacity, then the required panels are:

[(100 x 1000) / 400] = 250 

Overall, the industrial solar panel price investment for a 100kW grid-connected solar system can be around ₹56,25,000 (inclusive of all associated expenses). 

However, there’s a lot more that goes behind the science of finding out the entire project cost. Your installation company will be able to assist you in the best way possible.

Factors to Consider For Selecting an Industrial Solar Power Plant

So, how should you choose an ideal solar panel system for your factory? 

Some key factors that you should consider while selecting an Industrial solar system include – 

• Solar Plant’s Capacity – This is the daily average production capacity of a solar plant for industries. 

• Rating of Inverter – Solar inverters work as conversion devices to change the direct current to alternating current in solar farms and otherwise. An inverter with a good rating proves beneficial.

• Unit Nominal Power of Solar Cell – There are different variations in the market by different manufacturing brands, such as 180Wp, 330Wp, 400Wp, and so on. You must choose a power unit that suits your requirements, considering other factors. 

• Type of Cable – An AC cable composed of aluminium can be used, whereas a copper cable should be used for DC with a voltage grade of 1800V for enhanced productivity. You must consider this factor before choosing a solar panel system.

• Performance Ratio – The performance ratio of the solar plant should be above 80%. Ensure to check this ratio before buying a solar panel system.

• Solar Plant Monitoring System – The Plant monitoring system of your industrial solar panel system should have cloud-based monitoring.

• Payback Period – Better understood as is the time it takes to recover the initial installation cost, the payback time is different for different solar plant installations. However, on average, people tend to observe the payback in 4 to 5 years. 

• Operation & Maintenance (O&M) – Efficient operation and maintenance, including general and specific checks, are indispensable for constructive power generation. 

• Annual Maintenance Charges – The industrial solar panels only require cleaning and basic maintenance as there are no moving parts. Typically, it is around 1% of the upfront cost of an industrial solar system. Still, it is an important factor to consider.

Conclusion

Over the past years, a huge number of businesses in our country started moving toward the solar energy industry, considering the benefits of installing industrial solar panels. 

Whether it is the hospitality industry, healthcare or technology industry, government offices, or NPOs, every sector is opting to go green. 

If you are installing industrial solar panels at your site, you are definitely investing in a cleaner and more lucrative future for your firm and society. 

So, go green; go solar!

FAQs

1. How should I oversee the appropriate maintenance of the industrial solar panels?

For maintaining the industrial solar panels, there are two key points: 

• The first is monitoring the performance of your solar system regularly via the data logger.
• The second is to clean your industrial solar panels around 5 to 8 times every year.

Besides, your installer must also make a minimum of two visits per year for a general health checkup of your solar panel system.

2. How to identify whether the solar panel system is working efficiently or not?

It is highly suggested to deploy a data logger, i.e., a data monitoring device, along with your industrial solar panels. 

It helps to keep a regular track of the performance of your system. 

The data logger device will enable you and the Operations and Maintenance professionals to evaluate the actual performance regularly by comparing it with the estimated ideal performance. 

3. How do I determine the ideal plant layout and system design for an efficient industrial solar panel system?

The installations of solar systems are site-specific. Hence, you should determine a suitable solar plant layout and design for your industrial solar panels after an exhaustive engineering analysis. 

Under this, various aspects can be considered, including the design of the rooftop, the tilt of the solar panels, the arrangement & gap among the solar panels, other connected equipment, etc.